July 2010

“Acts of love are what will bring peace to your life and to the world.” – Lee L. Jampolsky, Ph.D.

I am pleased to report that my personal Summer of Time Prosperity is very going well! As you know, last summer I “woke up” to the fact that the previous summer had gone by in a blur of tele-seminars, projects and paperwork, while I missed the opportunity to savor the many big and little moments of relaxation, rejuvenation and FUN that are available only during my favorite time of year.

This summer, I am continuing my practice of taking ample time each week to do things I love to do in this favorite season of mine — even as I continue to write this weekly blog for you. So, taking a page from Johnny Carson when he was the host of the Tonight Show, I am spotlighting a number of “guest hosts” for the blog throughout the summer, which is a Win-Win for both of us. It gives YOU the opportunity to learn tips and tools for creating a life of abundance from some of my favorite Master Manifesters, and it provides ME the opportunity to enjoy my favorite time of year without guilt!

This week’s guest columnist continues the theme I introduced in the last blog – how performing “random acts of kindness” for others can increase your happiness and even your prosperity. Lee L. Jampolsky, Ph.D. is a renowned psychologist and author whose book is called “Smile For No Good Reason.” According to this great little paperback’s cover, its purpose is this:

“Dr. Jampolsky offers a series of powerful and concise stories that teach us how to joyfully exchange fear for love, selfishness for service, and anger for clarity – to respond to life’s challenges with peace, confidence, and laughter…Your attitudes, nothing more and nothing less, are your most important tools for building happinessand good health.”

Amen to that! ALL of the dozens of Master Manifesters whose work I have studied over the past two decades say the same thing: ATTITUDE is everything. What you think about, you bring about. Therefore, if you maintain the right focus, belief and positive attitude, you really CAN create the life of your dreams!

As I shared with you last week, one of the most powerful little “secrets” of manifesting prosperity and happiness that I have personally experienced is this: Whenever I bless others, the Universe always blesses me in return. The Law of Circular Giving says that when you give freely of your time, talent and treasure to help others, without expectation of thanks or reward, your good deeds ALWAYS circle back around to bless YOU – usually not from the same person or in the exact same way — but in the exact way that you need, just when you need it the most. It’s never failed me.

Each morning, I remind myself of the affirmation, “As I bless others, so shall I be blessed.” And I ask the Universe to connect me to those people who need my help that day, regardless of their ability to pay me or reciprocate in any way. It causes me to place my faith in the right place – with my Source. I know that if I simply concentrate on doing my very best to help my fellow man or woman, I will receive what I need – my “daily bread” — in return.

While last week’s blog focused on giving your “treasure” (money) to bless others, this week’s excerpt from Dr. Jampolsky’s wonderful little book focuses on the blessing of donating your time. When you give to others in any way, you strengthen your own ability to believe that whatever is needed in the way of financial, emotional or physical support will be provided to YOU. This is a critical prerequisite for putting the Law of Attractioninto action in creating whatever it is that YOU want for yourself.

FromSmile For No Good Reason

by Lee L. Jampolsky, Ph.D.:

Choose an hour a week to reach out.

“I don’t have time.” This is a common response to why one can’t be giving in the community. It’s no wonder. I the United States today, people work longer hours and commute longer distances than ever before. Many people still make charitable contributions with their money, which is wonderful, but few actively give of their time. Imagine the world if everyone devoted just one hour a week to doing acts of kindness.

There is simple wisdom in the saying, “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.”

It doesn’t matter where you start extending love. It only matters that you see it as much of a priority as all of your other activities. If you spend some time each week giving unconditionally, you will find all other areas of your life uplifted. When you take the time out of your stressful life to give, your whole life becomes less stressful and more purposeful. You are also likely to find the attitude of unconditional giving spreading over to your other activities, bringing increased peace and calm to your life.

Some people find it helpful to have structure to their giving: Volunteering with an organization, school, retirement home, hospital, or the like. Other people like the adventure of setting out for an hour each week to find someone to give to: Perhaps a neighbor doing yard work, a homeless person on a bench, an abandoned animal. It matters little who the recipient is, it is the act of compassion that will heal your life and contribute to the healing of the world.

I had a friend, Max, who died a few years back – well into his nineties. For over fifty years, he walked Carmel Beach every morning, picking up garbage. I think he lived so long and with such joy because of those morning walks of service to nature.

It is easy to become hopeless and overwhelmed by all the problems and atrocities in the world. Train your mind to know that extending love makes a difference. Don’t just sit and read the newspaper, wondering what is happening to the world. Make a difference by taking an hour a week to make happy news. At the end of the week, if one life on the planet, or the planet itself, feels a little more cared about because of your decision to take the time to give, you have made an invaluable contribution.”

Since I became a professional coach almost six years ago, I have directly experienced the good that comes to me from donating my time to others many times. When I first began my career, I needed clients, so I did scores and scores of “free sessions” of coaching – donating one or two hours to helping someone solve a problem, with no guarantee that they would sign up for coaching with me.

While they thanked me profusely for the help I gave them, most of them said they didn’t have the money to enter into coaching at that moment. So I blessed them and sent them on their way, never knowing if I would hear from them again, but knowing for certain that the time I had spent with them had sharpened my skills and fulfilled my purpose as a coach.

But over time, I began to notice that those I helped in this way through one of their life’s toughest challenges often found unexpected ways to bless me in return. Many referred their friends to me for coaching, which I would discover with immense gratitude through a surprise phone call, asking if I had room on my schedule for a new client. Others reciprocated months or years later through personal favors that I could not foresee ever needing at the time of our free coaching session.

One of the most miraculous blessings came back to me from a sometime realtor I’ll call “Alice,” who lives in a small town in Southern California. When a friend gave her a coupon for a free coaching session with me in early 2008 , she was feeling hopeless about her family’s situation, as the nation’s housing meltdown and Great Recession began in earnest.

At the time, Alice was a stay-at-home mother of three young children, whose husband had lost his construction job months before and his unemployment benefits were about to run out. She knew she needed to make some serious money fast to help support her family, but she had no idea how to do it. During our coaching session, she revealed that she had a valid license, but that she hadn’t been active as a realtor in several years. She had recently begun dabbling with it again, but hadn’t had much luck finding clients.

In just two free sessions of doing Practical Prosperity Coaching ™ together, I watched as Alice’s attitude completely turned around. She did her personalized DailySuccess Script™ twice a day without fail, and set the intention that she would get 20 “hot” leads that month – far more than she had ever had before. Thanks to her persistence, determination and positive attitude, she ended up getting 24 solid leads, and had 13 people out looking at properties to buy, all within one month of our first consultation.

After that, there was no turning back. Alice became a wildly successful realtor, got her broker’s license, opened up her own real estate company, and eventually had 17 agents working for her. Her husband began running their company’s property management division full time and her family prospered.

She had never paid me a dime for my coaching, but I was totally happy with the huge emotional rewards I received from watching her life turn around. And, of course, she recommended my coaching to everyone she knew in her small town, although there were few takers.

To “pay it forward” for the abundance she was receiving from the Universe, Alice opened a division in her real estate office devoted solely to helping distressed homeowners negotiate with their lenders to lower their payments and enable them to stay in their homes. Although very effective at it, she charges nothing for this service because she feels blessed, not just by the abundance she has created for herself and her family, but more importantly, by the positive impact she has been able to have on so many other lives.

A couple of days ago, I called Alice and asked her to help my husband and me negotiate a lowered mortgage payment with our lender, and she eagerly agreed. I could tell from the detailed instructions she gave me that she has thoroughly learned the “ropes” of this complex and often frustrating process. My husband, a seasoned realtor, could have painstakingly worked through it himself, but we both know that Alice’s experienced help will make it go much smoother and save us lots of our most precious resource – our TIME.

Through Alice and many other people, I have seen first hand that when I bless others by donating my time without any expectation except the satisfaction of knowing I have made a difference for them, I am regularly blessed in unexpected, wonderful ways. Thank you, Alice, for proving to me once again that “As I bless others, so shall Ibe blessed!”

My prosperity tip for you this week is similar to last week’s: Find someone to bless by performing a “random act of kindness” for them when they least expect it. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, just that it takes something for you to do it. But this time, don’t make it a gift of money; make it a gift of your TIME … any amount that is a stretch for you to donate to meet someone else’s need.

You can give the gift of your time to bless a stranger, an animal or someone you know. It is important that you DON’T give it expecting to get anything in return – not thanks, monetary compensation or any other reward. Simply do it from your own sense of open-hearted generosity, expecting nothing, and BELIEVE that the Universe is taking note. Then, one day soon, when you have almost forgotten about it, I guarantee that you will receive a wonderful surprise “out of the blue” of someone giving their time to YOU — in just the way you need it, just when you need it the most. That’s the Law of Circular Giving in action!

I hope you will share your chosen “random acts of kindness” with me, and what blessings you have received from the Universe in return! And be sure to let me know if it is OK to publish it in a future blog (anonymously or otherwise), so your gift can continue to “pay it forward” to your Community by inspiring others to do the same!Contact me at: caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com.

“By concentrating on the positive, we create a sense of optimism and energy.” – Christopher Novak

As you know, I have vowed to continue the practice I began last year of making this my personal Summer of Time Prosperity. In 2009, I “woke up” to the fact that the previous summer had gone by in a blur of tele-seminars, projects and paperwork, while I missed the opportunity to savor the many big and little moments of relaxation, rejuvenation and FUN that are available only during my favorite time of year.

This summer, as last, I am practicing taking ample time each week to stop and smell the roses, even as I continue to write this weekly blog for you. So, taking a page from Johnny Carson when he was the host of the Tonight Show, I will continue to introduce you to several “guest hosts” for the blog from time to time during the summer. It will give YOU the opportunity to learn tips and tools for creating a life of abundance from a number of my favorite Master Manifesters, while giving ME the opportunity to enjoy my favorite time of year without guilt!

This week’s guest columnist is actually a group of writers – the Editors of Conari Press – who compiled the wonderful little book titled “Random Acts of Kindness” – a collection of short anecdotes from people who practiced doing good things, usually for strangers, and got a great feeling (and sometimes even more tangible benefits) in return.

This book resonates with me because since “The Great Recession” began in 2008, I have been consciously focusing on blessing others, while allowing the Universe to bless me in return – following The Law of Circular Giving, as it’s called. And it hasn’t failed me once!

Each morning, I remind myself of the affirmation, “As I bless others, so shall I be blessed.” And I ask the Universe to connect me to those people who need my help that day, regardless of their ability to pay me or reciprocate in any way. It causes me to place my faith in the right place – with my Source. I know that if I simply concentrate on doing my very best to help my fellow man or woman, I will receive what I need – my “daily bread” — in return. I truly believe that God (or the Universe, or Allah, or Buddha, or Source, or whatever name you choose to call your Higher Power), takes care of US in whatever ways we need because WE take care of OTHERS in whatever way they need. God doesn’t have arms or legs or a checkbook, so God relies on ME to do what needs to be done for my fellow human beings, on God’s behalf.

Random Acts of Kindness provides many inspiring real-life examples of compassion, kindness and open-hearted giving – the type of acts that always come back around to bless the giver with whatever support THEY need – usually from an entirely different source than where they bestowed their kindness. That’s Circular Giving at its best!

I want to share these two excerpts from this wonderful little book, because they happen to focus on helping others with money. The aim of this blog is to increase your prosperity and abundance, which of course, are not limited to mere money or material possessions. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that when you “put your money where your mouth is” through an act of generosity to another who needs it, you strengthen your own ability to believe that whatever is needed in the way of material support will be provided to YOU. This is a critical prerequisite for putting the Law of Attraction into action in creating whatever it is that YOU want for yourself: When you genuinely BELIEVE that what you ask for WILL come to you, nothing is impossible….And belief is usually the hardest thing for us, isn’t it?

The following are excepts From Random Acts of Kindness by the Editors of Conari Press

Spare Change

Every day I walk down the mall to get a cup of cappuccino, and every day I get hit up for spare change. Every day. The panhandlers all have these wonderful stories but you never know what to believe. After awhile, it gets to be an irritation, and then I find myself getting upset that I’m so irritated over what is really just spare change. One day this person came up to me and said, “I just ran out of gas. My car is about six blocks away from here. I have two kids in the car and I’m just trying to get back home.”

I said to myself, “Here we go again,” but for some reason, I gave him $10. Then I went on and got my cappuccino. As I was walking back to my office, I again saw the man standing by his car, which had run out of gas right in front of my office. Seeing me, he came over and said, “Thank you, but I don’t need the full ten,” and handed me $2.

Now I find that being asked for money no longer bothers me and I give whatever I can every time I get the chance.

“The quality of mercy is not strained;

it dropeth as the gentle rain from heaven;

upon the place beneath; it is twice blessed;

it blesseth him that giveth and him that takes.”

— from The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare

The Forgiven Debt

I had a client who owed me a good deal of money. Eventually, she stopped seeing me, but each month I would send her a bill and receive no response. Finally, I wrote to her and said, “I don’t know what difficulty has befallen you that you are unable to pay me, but whatever it is, I’m writing to tell you your debt is forgiven in full. My only request is that at some point in your life, when your circumstances have changed, you will pass this favor on to someone else.”

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it ismy privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw

I must admit that forgiving a monetary debt is a challenging thing for me to do, especially when things are still tight for us in the current economy. Yet, I have been inspired to do this several times over the years, and each time, funds miraculously came back to bless me, usually from an entirely different source.

Once, out of the blue, one of my clients sent me a gift of $3,000! She said she had gotten the “message” from the Universe several times in no uncertain terms that she was to send that specific amount to me. I was flabbergasted! And my own debts have sometimes been kindly postponed – or even entirely forgiven – by others. I know that is no coincidence, but the result of trying to live according to the credo “As I bless others, so shall I be blessed” — or in the vernacular, “What goes around,comes around!”

My prosperity tip for you this week is simple: Find someone to bless by performing a “random act of kindness” for them when they least expect it. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, just that it takes something for you to do it. To me, giving $50 would constitute a Big Gift, while to you, that might be chump change! So don’t spend your family’s grocery money, but make it something that is significant for YOU. And it doesn’t have to be money; it could be a significant gift of time, for instance…anything that is a stretch for you to do for someone else.

It’s preferable if you give your gift to a stranger, or do it anonymously, if it’s to someone you know. But above all, do NOT do it expecting to get anything in return – not thanks, acknowledgment or a reciprocal gift. Simply do it from your own sense of open-hearted generosity, expecting nothing, and BELIEVE that the Universe is taking note. Then, one day soon, when you have almost forgotten about it, I guarantee that you will receive a wonderful surprise “out of the blue” (and quite possibly when you need it the most), just as YOUR gift came to your beneficiary “out of nowhere” when they needed it most.

I hope you will share your chosen “random act of kindness” with me, and what blessing you received from the Universe in return! And be sure to let me know if it is OK to publish it in a future blog (anonymously or otherwise), so your gift can continue to “pay it forward” to your Community by inspiring others to do the same! Contact me at: caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com.